Tauranga ED Staff At Wits End Declare State Of Emergency

NZNO members working at Tauranga Hospital’s emergency department (ED) are frustrated at facing a daily deluge of patients without the staff they need - forcing them to declare a state of emergency.

In a letter sent to Te Whatu Ora chief executive Dr Dale Bramley on Tuesday, signed by more than 100 ED staff, workers say the gap between patient demand and available resources continues to widen.

Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO delegate John Wylie says staff are being asked to assess and treat some patients in corridors, due to increasing capacity and patient flow issues.

The letter states assessment and treatment of patients in corridors has become routine practice due to ongoing capacity and patient flow pressures. It compromises patient privacy and dignity, heightens clinical risk, and contributes to staff stress, fatigue, moral distress, and burnout.

Patients are at risk because of the increasing demand without the increase in staff to match this. Staff are stretched too thin and can’t give patients the care they need. This is heartbreaking for our exhausted colleagues who became health care workers because they want to help people.

"We are often working at more than 150-200% capacity, and I cannot recall any recent day when the ED was not running at over 100% capacity."

It said the risks associated with this environment are no longer theoretical, the nursing team are becoming increasingly concerned that without urgent action to address capacity and staffing pressures, serious incidents will occur.

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"Ultimately, patients pay the price for hospitals that are continuously understaffed and under-resourced," John Wylie says.

In response to the letter (also attached), the Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive acknowledge the sustained pressures experienced by the department and the impact these can have on both staff wellbeing and the delivery of patient care.

"Ensuring Tauranga ED has the workforce and resources it needs to provide safe, high-quality care is a priority."

John Wylie says while the prompt and empathetic response was appreciated, the team look forward to meeting and agreeing on positive changes.

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